Bath-tub seat



(No Model.)

B. SGHOONMAKER.

BATH TUB SEAT.

Patented Apr. 1,1890.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVELINE SCIIOONMAKER, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN.

BATH-TUB SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,730, dated April 1,1890.

Serial No. 325,438. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVELINE SoHooNMAKEn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Three Rivers, in the county of St. Joseph and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BathTubSeats, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement consists in a novel c011- struction and arrangement ofthe bath-tub seat by means of which the seat is adj ustable at differentheights from the bottom of the bathtub, or can be raised and lowered asis required, and by which the seat and back may incline at any angle inorder to adapt the bath-seat for the use of invalids and those requiringan easy support while in the bath, and, furthermore, consists of a seatpermanently attached to the wall of the room and capable of being foldedand turned up against the latter when not in use.

In the drawings illustrating my improve ment,in which like lettersindicate like parts, Figure 1 is a View of the seat turned down readyfor use, showing the back attached to the seat and the latterinclined,and also showing in dotted lines the position of the seat when foldedand turned up against the wall. Fig. 2 is a side View, partly insection, of the seat proper, showing the mechanism by which the seat ismade to incline.

In the particular construction shown in the drawings the frame A issecurely fastened to the wall of the room next to and back of thebath-tub in such a position that the seat may be turned down into thetub. This frame consists of the two uprights A A, attached to the wallin any suitable manner.

In each upright or section of the frame is a slot A, extendinglengthwise of the latter, and on the outer part of the uprights arenotches a and a, next to the slot and on the outer edge of the frame, soplaced as to accommodate the rungs or bars of the swinging seat-frame B,as will be understood from the drawings and as is described below.

lVithin the frame A A, and engaging with the latter, is the swingingseat-frame B,'which supports the seat- S. This swinging frame consistsof the Vertical arms B B, having their upper portions curved, as shownat B B, and

fastened together at one end by the rungs or bars I) and Z) and at theother or seat end by the curved support or arm 0. The frame B is widerthan the frame A, so the arms B B are on the outside of the uprights AA.

The frames A and B are put together or connected in such a manner thatthe rung or bar I) is within the slot A, and the rung or bar I) rests onthe outside of the uprights A A, and these rungs are so arranged in thearms B B that when the frame B is turned down into the tub and the rungZ) is in one of the notches a the rung b will be in the correspondingouter notch a, and the frame B will thus be securely held in the frameA, as will be seen from the drawings. As there are a number of thesenotches a a, it follows that the arms B B, and consequently the seatconnected to them, may be supported at any position in the frame A, andhence raised up and down so as to bring the seat attached to the arms atany desired distance from the bottom of the bath-tub. As the rung or barI) rests outside ofthe frame A,itfollows that the arms B B may be turnedup next to the wall of the room, so as to bring the seat S against thelatter as is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The construction of the arms B B, and particularly of the curved ends BB, and of the frame A should be such that when the arms are turned downinto the tub the curved parts B B will clear the top T of the bath tuband bring the seat midway between the sides of the latter, and when thearms are turned up the folded seat S will rest against the wall of theroom.

At the outer end of the arms B B opposite the curved ends B Bis thesupport or curved arm 0, on which the seat S is mounted. This support 0is attached to the arms B B by the pivots 0, so it can turn between thearms when the seat is folded, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,andis held up at right angles to the arms when turned down by thebrackets c on the arms B. On the center of this curved arm or support Gis mounted the seat S. The seat is attached to the arm byaball-ancbsocket joint D D, as will be seen more particularly in Fig. 2,by means of which the seat may be inclined in either direction,

as may be required. By means of the setscrew d the socketD can betightened around the ball-joint, and thus hold the seat at anyinclination found desirable.

To either end of the seat S is connected the detachable back E. Thisback is fastened to the seat by hooks e, which enter eyes 8, inserted inthe seat near the front and back edges, so as not to incommode thebather. The back can incline at anyangle to the seat, and is held up orin place by the chain c, attached to the frame A, or by any othersuitable support, and can turn down over the seat when the latter isfolded, or, if desired, may be removed entirely from the seat and hungup against the wall. head-rest or cushion F, which is adjustable orarranged to slide up and down, as may be desired.

As Will thus be seen, my improved bathtub seat may be placed at anyheight required to adapt the seat for different persons, and the seatand back may be placed at any angle or inclination desired by thebather, so as to form a comfortable support to the latter while in thebath, and when not in use the back and seat may be folded together andturned back against the Wall, thus leaving the bath-tub free forordinary uses,

My improvement may be used as an ordinary bath-tub seat Without the backand with the seat held horizontal, and for such uses is particularlydesirable, as the seat is adjustable at any height and may be folded outof the Way When not in use; but mybathtub seat is principally designedfor use in hospitals and for invalids and others requiring a restfulsupport While in the bath.

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction here shown anddescribed, as the several parts of the seat may be varied in shape andconstruction.

What I claim is 1. In a bath-tub seat, the combination of the frame Aand the adjustable arms B, adapted to support the seat and capable ofbeing adjusted at different heights in the frame A,

On this back is a" substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a bath-tub seat, the combination of the frame A, the arms B,adapted to support the seat and capable of being adjusted in the frame Aat different heights and of turning back against the Wall, and thefolding seat S, substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth.

In abath-tub seat, the combination of the frame A, the adjustable armsB, adapted to support the seat and capable of being adjusted in theframe A at different heights, and of turning back against the Wall, andthe folding seat S, arranged and adapted to incline in either directionand having the detachable back E, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a bath-tub seat, the combination of the frame A, the adjustablearms B, adapted to support the seat and cap ble of being adjusted atdifferent heights in the frame A, and the seat S, arranged and adaptedto incline in either direction and having the detachable back E,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a bath-tub seat, the combination of the frame A, having the slotsA and notches a and a, the arms B, having the bars I) and b arranged andadapted to engage with the notches a and a, for the purpose described,and provided with the swinging arm 0 and capable of turning back againstthe Wall, and the folding seat S, connected to the arm 0 by theball-and-socket joint '1) D and adapted to incline in either direction,and provided with the detachable back E, all constructed and operatingsubstantially as described, as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this12th day of August, A. D. 1889.

EVELINE SOIIOONMAKER.

Witnesses:

EDW. F. THOMAS, J NO. P. BRISBEN.

